No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 May 2025
Well-preserved specimens of the xanthid crab Lathahypossia aculeata (Busulini, Tessier, and Visentin, 1984) coming from middle Eocene volcanoclastites at Main quarry (Vicenza, Northeast Italy) are housed in three Museums in the Veneto region. Their exoskeletons, mainly chelipeds and thoracic sternum, are significantly encrusted by serpulid tubes assigned to the new species Propomatoceros lathahypossiae. Serpulids belong to the genus Propomatoceros, which has until now ranged from the Triassic to the Cretaceous; this record of the genus is the first in the Cenozoic. The abundance, frequency, and distribution pattern of the serpulid specimens on the different parts of the exoskeleton of the crabs were investigated, shedding light on the ecology/behavior of the encrusting species. Finally, the settlement and growth of serpulids related to sex, size, and molting cycle of the crabs were discussed, hypothesizing on the type of symbiotic relationship among the encrusters and their host.
Guest Editor: Carrie Schweitzer